Changing the Future
by TheBardITP
Summary: When Hermione fumbled the Time-Turner, Harry is sent back in time with no idea of what to and not to do, other than Dumbledore's cryptic comments. And he really wants a godfather.
1. Chapter 1 - Changing the Future

**Chapter 1-Changing the Future**

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moves from Harry to Hermione, "is more _time_."

"But -" Hermione began. Then her eyes became very round, "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly, "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window fro mthe right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: _you must not be seen_. Miss Granger, you know the law - you know what is at stake . . . _You. Must. Not. Be. Seen._ "

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

"I am going to lock you in. It is -" he consulted his watch, "Five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore, "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

"Harry, come here," she said urgently. " _Quick!_ "

Harry moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out, a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.

"Here-"

She had thrown the chain around his neck, too.

"Ready?" asked Hermione breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.

Hermione turned the hourglass over once times, then fumbled and dropped it. It tumbled again in the air before hanging, the chain stretched to it's limit.

"Uh oh." Hermione breathed out, reaching and pulling the chain over her head when-

The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding, he tried to yell but couldn't hear his own voice-

And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again.

He was standing in the deserted entrance hall, silver light streaming in from the outside.

"What was that?" he wondered aloud. As the young wizard said that, though, he heard a pair of footsteps coming closer. _You must not be seen._

Harry ran outside and hid behind a bush, panting lightly. The footsteps grew louder, and, eventually, the tall, thin figure of Professor Severus Snape left Hogwarts castle and walked towards the Whomping Willow.

"Is he going back?" Harry whispered aloud, used to having someone to talk to, "Is he trying to find Pettigrew?"

The young wizard followed Snape at a distance, until the Professor knelt to pick up something made of silvery fabric - _the Invisibility Cloak!_

"But Snape hid under it . . . how did it get out here again?" Harry wondered allowed as the Professor picked up a long stick and poked the same knot on the Whomping Willow that Crookshanks put a paw on.

Harry waited for what felt like hours, knowing that if he was caught this past curfew, he'd get detention -or worse. Without the Marauder's Map to tell him where Filch and the teachers were, he didn't want to risk sneaking back inside.

"If Snape was following Pettigrew, he wouldn't have went through the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, and the Invisibility Cloak wouldn't be there." Harry said, thinking through this. His gaze dropped to the device around his neck, "It's an . . . hourglass."

It hit him like a lightning stroke. Harry wasn't a methodical thinker like Hermione. Sometimes, the idea came to him right away, like chasing down a key with wings on a broomstick, stabbing a Basilisk with a sword or grabbing Voldemort. Sometimes, it took a while.

He had gone back in time!

"I can capture Pettigrew." Harry whispered excitedly, "And bring him to Dumbledore!"

Harry walked as stealthily as he could down to where he remembered Pettigrew had ran off too. Then another memory made it's presence known.

Just then, though, a small group of people erupted from the bottom of the Whomping Willow: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and lastly, Harry Potter.

He watched as Lupin turned into a werewolf, his hands itching to do something, _anything_ , but knowing both Sirius and Lupin would live.

Peter Pettigrew, though, started shrinking rapidly, his mousy features being replaced by a ratty face after he cast a spell on Ron and Crookshanks. Lupin's wand went flying as Harry -the other Harry- cast the Disarming Spell on him.

Then Peter turned and raced off -right towards Harry.

The young wizard crouched, hands out. As Peter cleared the bush, he froze for almost three seconds -enough time for Harry to grab him and poke the rat with his wand.

Peter stiffened, then went limp.

Harry smiled in victory. _I'm going to live with Sirius! And I'm going to see my father!_

He raced off, running through the forest as fast as he could. Then he saw it- the same lake. Sirius Black, in dog from, crouching and growling in pain as a seeming wall of Dementors approached.

There was another bush at the edge of the lake, the Harry threw himself behind it before either Sirius or the Dementors could see.

The dog actually _shrank_ into the form of the gaunt wizard just as Harry and Hermione appeared, running towards him. The Dementors swarmed in, and Harry could see himself struggling to create a Patronus.

Harry stared resolutely, trying to ignore his own memories of the horrible feeling of loneliness and willing someone else to appear . . . whoever it was would appear at any moment . . . any second.

 _Please, Dad!_

But Harry could see the Dementors swoop down . . . and realized. _It wasn't Dad. I've never seen Dad's whole body. It must've been . . . me!_

Harry stood, wand in one hand, Peter Pettigrew in the other. _But how could I create a Patronus that powerful? The happiest memory . . . the happiest image._

He focused on the rat he held, the feeling of elation when that rat was being dragged back to Hogwarts. Harry raised his wand, performing the movements with a practiced ease. A few of the Dementors turned to him, now, but even his feelings held them at bay as he finished the spell.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. A brilliant being made entirely of light exploded from the tip of his wand. Something with four legs and a huge rack of antlers.

It galloped forward, scattering the Dementors like so many leaves on the wind until there were none left.

Harry ran off, tucking his wand away and clutching Peter with two hand. There were teachers coming, and he didn't want to be caught . . .

The entrance hall was still open, so he ran in, his earlier fears forgotten in the heady excitement and happiness.

Thankfully, there was no one there. He raced up the stairwells and across the corridors until he reached the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

"Er . . . Peppermint! Lemon drop! Mars Bars! Chocolate frogs! Licorice! Bernie Bott's Every-Flavored Beans! Honeydukes Chocolate!" Harry frantically guessed. None changed the gargoyle's position, and he swore it was now giving him a reproachful look.

"Nougat! Coconut Ice! Pepper Imps! Toffee!"

Soon, though, the gargoyle _did_ move aside . . . to reveal the aged headmaster himself, wearing a nightcap and a silken robe.

"It is rather late for a visit, Mister Potter, and _far_ after curfew." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "Though I am rather offended by your choice of Pepper Imps . . . What is that you are holding?"

Harry held it out, "It's Peter Pettigrew! He's a rat Animagus and you told Hermione and I to-"

"Perhaps it is better that we converse inside." interrupted the old wizard, ushering Harry through. The gargoyle leaped back as the two of them walked up the stone spiral staircase.

Dumbledore's office itself looked as odd and mystical as ever. The Sorting Hat appeared to be snoring, as did Fawkes the pheonix and quite a few of the portraits.

"Now, Harry, tell me everything that happened." intoned Dumbledore as they both sat.

Pettigrew was surprisingly still as Harry explained everything, words tumbling over each other in his haste. He had just gotten to catching Peter Pettigrew in rat form when he heard the gargoyle leaping aside again.

"It's Snape!" Harry said hurriedly, interrupting his own story.

" _Professor_ Snape." Dumbledore corrected, then pointed to a door, "Go in there until I tell you -you must not be seen!"

Harry nodded, opened the door, and stepped through. The room itself was small, and had a large circle in the center of it, inscribed with magical glyphs and ancient runes.

Outside, he could hear Snape's raised voice telling Dumbledore his side of what happened. Pettigrew squeaked and squealed, but Harry squeezed harder, forcing the rat to calm down again. Peter Pettigrew was, at heart, a coward and a poor fighter. He didn't want to start to transform in clenched hands, knowing that if Harry squeezed too hard, his rat bones would break . . . if not worse.

So the rat stayed silent until Snape left the room again, and Dumbledore opened it.

"Professor Snape's story also seems quite convincing." the aged wizard sighed, "Cornelius Fudge would believe the word of a professor over the word of a thirteen year-old boy. Let us hope you truly hold Peter Pettigrew."

"I do! He turned into a rat and I caught him!" Harry said, "Professor Lupin and Sirius cast a spell on him to force him to turn back!"

Dumbledore held up a forestalling hand, "I am very aware of the spell, and I believe your story. However, I must warn you to not utter any derogatory statements towards Professor Snape when we take Peter Pettigrew to Cornelius. Let me explain the scenario, and only speak when asked a question."

Harry nodded.

"Good. Now, set Peter on the floor and stand behind me." ordered Dumbledore. Harry none too gently did what Dumbledore asked.

Immediately, Peter ran for the door. He didn't get very far.

" _Ostendo._ " Dumbledore whispered, and a beam of blue-white light erupted from his wand to strike Pettigrew. The rat squealed as he expanded into a flesh and blood wizard, squealing much like his rat form did. " _Stupefy._ "

Another flash of light, red this time, struck Pettigrew in the chest. The traitor fell back, hitting the ground with a thud. He wasn't moving.

Harry looked at the still body, "Is he . . ."

"Dead? No. Merely unconscious." replied the master wizard. With a flick of his wand, Pettigrew lifted into the air, "Follow me."

They both walked through the mostly-deserted hallways of Hogwarts Castle at night, silver light streaming through the open windows much like it did into the entrance hall.

Dumbledore led Harry to the third floor, specifically to Professor Flitwick's office -or, more correctly, to the classroom that bordered it.

"The Kiss shall be administered immediately, as soon as we bring a Dementor here." Cornelius Fudge said, facing Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout, the four heads of houses.

"We can't bring a Dementor inside the school!" protested Pomona Sprout, "There could be terrible danger!"

"I rather think that we will not be needing a Dementor at all." Dumbledore replied when he entered the room, "Sirius Black, ever the loyal Gryffindor, is completely innocent."

Professor McGonagall gasped, "Is that . . . Peter Pettigrew?"

"Impossible!" Fudge took a step back, "Sirius Black killed Peter Pettigrew! How?"

"News of Peter's death appear to have been greatly exaggerated." Dumbledore answered mildly, "It was recently discovered that Peter Pettigrew was -is, in fact- a rat Animagus. He was the one who killed twelve Muggles and framed Sirius Black. Isn't it curious that a relatively large piece of him, his finger, managed to stay intact while the rest of his body simply vanished? He cut off his own finger and turned into a rat after he blew the street apart, escaping into the sewers."

"No! Sirius sold the Potters out to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He was the Secret Keeper!" Snape spat, "He's a dirty liar, just like the Potters!"

"I believe that Pettigrew was, in fact, the Secret Keeper. Minerva, you knew both Sirius and Peter. Who would be more likely to go to Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

McGonagall thought for only a moment, "Peter."

"There is no need for you to only take my word for it, however. Professor Snape, if you would be so kind as to fetch a dose of Veritaserum?"

Snape glared at Harry for a moment before sweeping his black robe around him and leaving, the door slamming shut.

"Professor Snape tells a very different tale, Headmaster Dumbledore." Fudge said, "And a much more believable one."

"With respect, Minister, I find it very hard to believe that both Remus Lupin and Sirius Black would turn against James. They were inseparable in their youth!" argued Professor McGonagall, "Peter Pettigrew is by far the most likely to turn against them. Sirius Black rejected his upbringing many years ago, and was disowned as a result."

"I have to agree with Professor McGonagall." Flitwick said, "They were troublemakers, but they always stuck together. Only Peter didn't participate enthusiastically in their pranks."

"I believe Sirius' sentence should be waived in light of new evidence." Dumbledore suggested, "Imagine the news! Godfather and Son Reunited! The True Villain Imprisoned!"

"Hmm." Cornelius hummed noncommittally.

"Have I ever led you wrong?" Dumbledore asked, "I remember an incident last year when my innocent Keeper of the Keys and Grounds was wrongly sent to Azkaban. I would rather a similar incident not occur this year."

Cornelius' eyes bugged out a little, "Oh, yes . . ."

"And perhaps an award could be issued, as a sign of the bravery it took for a man to survive Azkaban and chase a known killer. A distinguishment for the Boy-Who-Lived's godfather." prodded the old wizard, seeing Fudge start to cave in.

That was when Snape returned with the bottle of Veritaserum.

Dumbledore gestured, "Let us see what Peter says about the events of that fateful night."

He maneuvered the unconscious wizard to face Snape, who angrily opened his mouth and put three drops of the clear liquid onto Pettigrew's tongue.

" _Ennervate._ " Dumbledore whispered, waking Pettigrew. Then he stepped back and gestured to the still-floating body, "Who wishes to ask the first questions?"

"Did you frame Sirius Black for the deaths of twelve Muggles?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes."

"Did you kill those Muggles yourself?"

"Yes."

"Did you hide as a rat named Scabbers, in the care of Ronald Weasley?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes."

"Were you the Secret Keeper to the Potter's Fidelius Charm?"

"Yes."

"Is Sirius Black innocent of the betraying the Potters and killing the Muggles?"

"Yes."

"Did you betray the Potters to Voldemort?"

"Yes."

Cornelius' face had hardened more at each of the answers, "Vile rat! He will have a life in Azkaban for this!"

"I believe that to be the most suitable punishment." Dumbledore said sadly, "It is a dark day when punishment is dealt to the wrong man."

"It certainly is!" McGonagall hissed, "We should have seen this earlier! Sirius Black betray James Potter? I shouldn't have believed it!"

"No one can fault any of us, save for Sirius himself." Dumbledore comforted McGonagall, "I believed it myself until only an hour ago."

"How did you come upon Peter in the first place?" Cornelius asked, "Severus saw no rat when he brought Sirius and the students back to the castle."

"Peter apparently hid inside Mister Potter's clothes, and was scared unconscious like the rest of them when the Dementors approached..Mister Potter only recently woke from Peter trying to get free, and recognizing the rodent, brought him to me." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes, "Isn't that correct, Mister Potter?"

"Yes, sir." Harry replied, speaking for the first time.

Severus Snape turned to Dumbledore, incensed at Harry's presence, "He and his two friends attacked me!"

"It was merely a disarming spell, while you were threatening them at wandpoint. He acted in his own believed self-defence." Dumbledore assured the angry professor, "Given the events of this evening, I think it is best to let bygones be bygones."

Snape sneered at Harry, "You won't be so lucky next time, Potter!"

"Now, it has been a late and stressful night for young Harry Potter, and I believe we should let him retire to the Hospital Wing. I will return momentarily.

Dumbledore led Harry through the still-darkened hallways and back to the ward, where he motioned for Harry to remain there.

The old wizard opened the doors and stepped through, the words muffled on the other side. Harry pressed his ear to the door.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly. "is more _time_."

"But -" Hermione began."OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly, "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: _you must not be seen_. Miss Granger, you know the law - you know what is at stake . . . _You. Must. Not. Be. Seen._ "

"I am going to lock you in. It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

With that, Dumbledore turned and left. Outside again, Harry had a question, "What did you mean by 'you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight?'"

"Hmm. I said those words because that is what you told me I said." Dumbledore smiled, "If I had not said that, things may have easily changed for the worst. I believe I meant Buckbeak, and because he mysteriously disappeared, that may have already happened. But do not say _anything_ about saving Buckbeak. Things must happen the way they already have."

Harry was sure his confusion was written all over his face.

"Do not worry yourself, Mister Potter. The intricacies of time travel are a mystery to many. I don't quite understand them myself, but I believe I meant, or mean, for you to rescue Buckbeak and let Sirius fly away on him." Dumbledore said, "But this is certainly a fine alternative. Be sure to return the Time-Turner to Miss Granger, and Madam Pomfrey will certainly be irate if I kept you from her care much longer. Sleep well. By morning, I hope to have Sirius Black freed."

Harry nodded and stepped into the Hospital Wing, seeing Hermione and gesturing to quickly get in the beds again. They did -just in time. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, talking to herself, "Do I get to take care of my patients now? Finally!"

She was carrying a veritable _tub_ of chocolate, and placed it near the end of Hermione's bed. Then several large stacks appeared at Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's bedsides, along with a potion for each of them.

"Eat as much as you can, then take the Sleeping Draught." Madam Pomfrey ordered, "Don't let me see you out of bed until tomorrow!"

Then she left, and Hermione leaned across the divide, "What happened? I thought . . . after I dropped the Time-Turner . . ."

It took most of the chocolate stack to explain everything to Hermione, then start over for Ron as well.

Eventually, though, the tide of words crashed to a halt. They all took the Sleeping Draught together, and slipped into the world of dreamless sleep.

* * *

Harry awoke the next morning when Madam Pomfrey opened the door to admit one Albus Dumbledore, with a newspaper rolled under one arm.

Well, perhaps morning wasn't the best way to describe it. It was, in fact, almost noon.

"I believe this will be of interest to you." Dumbledore said, holding out the newspaper.

On the front page was a photo of Sirius Black being taken to St. Mungo's, smiling and waving to a flock of reporters with flashing cameras.

* * *

 **Who Ratted the Potters Out? A Sirius Mistake!**

 _The world was shocked today when the truth behind a years-old investigation was revealed! Sirius Black, scion of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, confined to Azkaban for years, was falsely imprisoned!_ _Evidence has come forward that Peter Pettigrew, soon-to-be former Order of Merlin, First Class holder, was made Secret Keeper by the Potters, but was secretly colluding with the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!_

 _Pettigrew is believed to have framed the loyal Sirius Black and killed twelve Muggles in his escape, and had been hiding until today, where he finally faces justice._

" _Sirius is innocent of any crime." says Professor Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, "I look forward to seeing him reunited with his godson, Harry Potter."_

 _But how will the Boy-Who-Lived react to the man long-believed to have betrayed his parents? Will Sirius claim custody over Harry? More on page 7!_

* * *

"Will I really be able to live with Sirius?" Harry asked after he read the front-page article.

At the question, Dumbledore looked uncomfortable, "That is something very complicated. Sirius' trial is later today, but I am confident he will be judged innocent, and recommended for an Order of Merlin, First Class. But the issue of where you shall live in the future is a more complicated one."

Albus sat next to Harry's bed and leaned forward, his eyes not holding their customary twinkle.

"Your mother, Lily Potter, sacrificed herself for you. Sacrifice has long been a way to perform great feats of magic, particularly of the Dark variety. But a sacrifice made out of love can create the strongest magic of all, and that is what happened. Because of her, the killing curse rebounded off of you and struck Voldemort. In addition, powerful wards had the ability to be establised.

"While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, whilst you are there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past twelve years."

Harry nodded, "So I'm safe in Aunt Petunia's house? I hate it there, Professor!"

"I know. At the time, though, giving you to Aunt Petunia was the perfect solution. I did not know if Voldemort had truly died or simply had gone into hiding for a while. Should the second had been true, he would have attempted to find you and kill you. Whilst you are in your aunt's house, however, you would be protected." Dumbledore said, "At the same time, very few people knew your Aunt Petunia even existed, much less her location. The only ones who knew I had placed you there were myself, Hagrid, and Professor McGonagall. It was where you were safest, far away from the turmoil of the wizarding world."

"You did it to protect me? All this time . . . I was protected from Voldemort?" Harry asked, stunned by the revelation.

"I do believe, though, that times have changed. Discovering that one of your most trusted friend's pet was an agent of Voldemort made me realize that you, even within the walls of this castle, are still quite vulnerable to direct attack." the old wizard sighed, "As much as I would love to let you continue your childhood as you know it now, that must change."

"To what?"

"I would like you to live with your godfather, Sirius Black, behind the strongest wards I can muster and give your consent to be tutored on magic." Dumbledore's eyes turned sad, "You could have died numerous times in the past years, and I would like you to learn how to protect yourself. It is your decision to make, however."

The aged headmaster was about to leave when he turned to face Harry again, "Young Mister Potter, when I left you in the care of your Aunt and Uncle, I believed in such a thing as the greater good, and that people occasionally had to be sacrificed to reach it. Now, though, I realized I should have been attempting to save every single person I could . . . no matter the cost. If I had, perhaps Sirius Black would have been freed long ago."

The closing door sounded lonely when Dumbledore left, but despite the elder wizard's morose words, Harry felt nothing but elation. He was going to live with his godfather!

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, how'd I do? The news article didn't work well on Fanfiction's word editor.**

 **Feedback is much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Understanding the Past

**Chapter 2 - Understanding the Past**

"Professor Lupin, you can't go!" Harry insisted, "You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!"

"I'm also, apparently, a great danger to students and should be removed from the school at once. Ideally, my head would be removed from my body. I already _have_ half a dozen letters to prove it." Lupin gestured over to his desk, where a disorderly pile of folded paper awaited, "Apparently, Professor Snape was hit hard by the loss of his expected Order of Merlin. I'm sure those are just the first responders."

"You can't let that drive you away!" Hermione protested, "Just because-"

"I turn into a raving, bloodthirsty monster twelve times a year?" Lupin smiled wryly, "What if I had killed Sirius last night? Or one of you three, or even Wormtail? If I forget to take the potion for even _one_ night, I can't control myself."

He moved to his desk and started folding pieces of parchment, tucking them away in his trunk.

"Then talk to Dumbledore or something!" Ron said, "Blimey, you can't just quit because _Snape_ wants you to! That bloody git isn't _half_ as good as you!"

"Yet I must, for everyone's safety." Lupin's smile turned sad as he watched the three of them, "Listen: I loved the time I spent here, teaching you and all the other students. But I never really expected to spend more than a year here. I knew that someone would eventually figure out my . . . condition. I needed to be here for _this year_ , though. I know how Sirius thinks better than anyone. Once I heard he escaped from Azkaban, I had to come. To keep _you_ safe, Harry."

The professor tossed the letters he got into fireplace, where they promptly burned to a crisp. That left only one piece of parchment left, which he picked up and held out to Harry, "I believe this is for you."

Harry took the Marauder's Map from Lupin's outstretched hand and tucked it away.

While the Boy-who-Lived was still trying to figure out what to say, Hermione spoke up, "We'll never learn as much without you, Professor. You could keep a cage in here, or have one of the other teachers keep an eye on you, or-"

"No. I must go." Lupin shrugged, "I'm afraid nothing you can say will change my mind."

Ron was the first to accept it, "We'll bloody miss you here, mate."

"I'm sure that, with Miss Granger's help, you'll be able to keep on top of your schoolwork." Lupin said to the red-haired boy.

Hermione was next, and she just nodded.

Lupin nodded back.

"I'll miss you too." Harry said.

"It won't be for long." Lupin replied cryptically, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night . . . and managed to clear Sirius' name because of it. Now . . . Tell me about your Patronus."

"How d'you know about that?" Harry asked, shocked.

"What else could have driven the Dementors away before Snape woke up? Certainly not me, Sirius was nearly dead, and Miss Granger doesn't know the Patronus Charm."

Harry explained everything, including his strange impulse that his father was a stag Animagus.

"You are, of course, correct." Lupin pointed to the map in Harry's pocket, "I was Moony for . . . obvious reasons. Sirius was Padfoot, Peter was Wormtail, and James was . . . Prongs. He would be very proud of you, Harry." He picked up another item from his desk, a silvery cloak, "I know that James got up to a lot of mischief with this, and combined with the Marauder's Map, it is a very potent tool. I took the liberty of retrieving it from the Shrieking Shack last night."

Harry took the Invisibility Cloak and stared at it, "You said Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of the school . . . they'd have thought it was funny."

"And so we would have." Lupin snapped his case shut, "James would be glad to see that this has been passed on to you -and he'd be disappointed if you didn't use it."

There was a knock on the door, and Harry made sure to push the Marauder's Map further into his pocket before whoever it was walked in.

It was Dumbledore, and he wasn't at all surprised to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron there.

"Your carriage has arrived at the gates, Remus." the aged wizard said.

"Thank you, Headmaster." Lupin crouched to pick up his case and grindylow tank, "Well- good-bye. It was a pleasure teaching you, but I've heard of a new position that recently opened up elsewhere, and I want to be the first to apply for the job. I feel sure that I'll see you again soon."

With a final nod and smile, Lupin left the room.

Harry hung his head.

"Don't look so glum, Harry." Dumbledore smiled gently, "You've helped put a terrible man in Azkaban and free a good man from a more terrible fate."

 _Terrible._ The word stirred something in Harry's memory. _Greater and more terrible than ever before . . ._

"Er . . . Professor Dumbledore . . . yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went . . . strange. Very strange."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "More strange than usual, I trust?"

"Yeah . . . her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and her voice went wonky and she said . . . she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight . . . she said the servant would help him return to power." Harry stared up at Dumbledore, "And then she sort of was normal again, and she couldn't remember what she said. Was it- was she making a real prediction?"

Dumbledore actually looked impressed at the statement, "True foretellings are quite rare, however, and Peter Pettigrew did not escape last night. It certainly sounds like a true act of Divination . . . I will have to see if anyone has escaped Azkaban last night -Sirius has certainly proved it is possible."

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, "Sirius, I mean."

"Yes, quite well in fact. St. Mungo's predicts that he will make a full recovery, and though it will take time, your godfather is amazingly resilient." the old headmaster smiled at the three of them, "I do believe that you may be able to spend more time together this summer, if that is what you wish."

Ron's eyes went wide, "Blimey, I almost forgot! Bill and Charlie are coming over for a while this summer -I could take you to meet them!"

"And I'm sure Fred and George would enjoy learning a thing or two from Sirius, as well." Dumbledore said confidentially.

With that, the headmaster swept his robes around and left.

Despite Lupin's resignation, which no one in Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts class was happy about, Harry had never been happier at the end of a school year. Dumbledore, that evening, gave each Harry, Ron, and Hermione fifty points for helping to catch a criminal and save a man from the Dementor's Kiss. When combined with Gryffindor's lead in the Quidditch tournament, it seemed Gryffindor was shoe-in for the House Cup for the third year running.

The exam results came back eventually: Hermione, of course, managed to score perfectly on everything despite her much-overloaded schedule. Harry and Ron both scored decently on their exams as well.

Percy passed his N.E.W.T.s with flying colors, and even Fred and George managed to scrape together a handful of O.W.L.s.

The only other low point was Snape. Harry could've swore that it was impossible for Snape to hate him more than the professor already did a year ago, but it seemed to have gone to new levels. His behavior over the days had become quite alarming, having lost his chance at an Order of Merlin, and that same award going to _Sirius Black_ , of all people.

Harry suspected that Snape was going to fail his Potions exam out of hatred, then suspected Dumbledore had prevented that when he got the exam back. Every mistake looked like a bloody slash on the piece of paper, as if Snape had wanted to bleed Harry through the exam parchment.

Whenever the Potions Professor looked at Harry now days, his mouth tightened in anger and his hands flexed, closing into fists.

Harry, needless to say, stayed as far away from the sour professor as possible.

By the time the end-of-the-year feast rolled around, Harry felt nervousness gnaw at his stomach again. Though Dumbledore assured him everything was alright, Harry hadn't heard from Sirius at all.

Would he return to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters to find only the Dursleys waiting for him? Would he have to live another two months with them?

So even though he was eating the feast under the resplendent scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, his stomach was roiling.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Harry!" Hermione said severely, "You shouldn't worry about it!"

"But what if Sirius is-"

"Sirius is fine too!" Hermione chastised, "You aren't helping him by worrying!"

"Besides, the Quidditch World Cup is going to be held in England this year!" Ron said excitedly, "Dad always gets tickets through work, and I think it's going to be great!"

Harry managed a wane smile for both of them, which -after a few moments and a lot of trying- slowly became real, "Yeah. The Quidditch World Cup."

While Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch, Hermione stuck her nose in _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_.

They were still trying to distract him when the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning.

"I went to see Professor McGonagall last night -I've decided to drop Muggle Studies and return the Time-Turner. Divination was useless anyways, so without those two, I should be able to go back to a regular schedule."

"I _still_ can't believe you _never_ told us about that." Ron grumbled good-naturedly, "We're supposed to be your _friends_."

"Well, I swore not to tell _anyone_." Hermione replied, "Besides, that thing was driving me crazy. I also did something I wasn't supposed to with it."

"What?" Harry asked, looking out the window to see the mountains retreat in the distance.

"I . . . might have gone back in time to free Buckbeak." said the bushy-haired girl nervously.

" _You_ freed Buckbeak?" Ron asked incredulously, "Right under the nose of Lucius Malfoy and the executioner? Blimey, that's brilliant! I wish I had thought of that!"

"I swore not to use it on anything that wasn't academic . . ."

Ron wasn't really listening, though, "I wish I had seen Malfoy's face, the git. Serves him right."

Harry frowned, though, "What about the thud, though? We all heard it . . ."

"The executioner hit the tree stump after he discovered Buckbeak was missing." Hermione smiled, "I don't know where Buckbeak is now, but I think he's happy."

"You are bloody amazing!" Ron cheered, "Anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

Soon enough, the lunch trolley came around, and all three of them got very full meals -though choclate of all kinds were noticeably absent.

They joked, talked, and played endless games of Exploding Snap for the rest of the ride back to King's Cross Station. Ginny, Neville, and Dennis Creevey all payed visits at some point, along with Fred, George, and -surprisingly- Percy, who expressed in very loud tones that if he was accepted into Ministry, he would have some very strong opinions on Magical Law Enforcement.

The distractions worked for most of the train ride, but Harry's heart was heavy when he rolled his trunk -and Hedwig's cage- out of Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, only to be surprised when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Sirius Black spread his arms wide, "Miss me?"

* * *

"Sirius?" Harry asked, amazed, "You look loads better!"

He was right -Sirius' face had filled out more, losing -more or less- the gaunt, haunted quality it had. His arms and legs weren't as thin or emaciated as they were, and he no longer had the frenzied, crazy look in his eyes. He was dressed in a beaten black leather jacket over blue jeans -Muggle attire. He wore it well, too. His hair, formerly matted and greasy, was trimmed, washed, and styled.

"Blimey, mate." Ron whispered.

"Not my best, yet, but I'll get by." Sirius smiled, "Nice to see you three again. You didn't get up to any more trouble now, did you?"

"No." Hermione said, still somewhat shocked by Sirius' healthy countenance, "You _do_ look a lot better."

"It'll take a lot more than a Dementor or two to keep a young dog like me down." Sirius grinned, "They're still telling me not to do any magic yet, though, or anything too stressful, or I would've flown onto the train."

"You have a broom already?" Hermione asked, shaking her head, " _Boys_."

"Nah, I've got something even better." Sirius smiled mischievously, not at all acting his age.

"Hermione!" another voice called, then the bushy-haired witch was wrapped in a tight hug by her mother, Mr. Granger following slightly behind.

Eventually, she wriggled her way out of the hug and gestured at Sirius, "Mom, Dad, this is Sirius Black, Harry's godfather."

Mr. Granger stepped forward and slightly to the side, standing between his wife and the formerly-suspected killer, "Hello, I'm Conall Granger, Hermione's father."

"Sirius Black."

They shook hands, then Mrs. Emma Granger did the same.

"I've heard your daughter is an excellent student." Sirius said, "Since Harry's -hopefully- going to be staying with me, I was wondering if you'd allow Hermione to come over occasionally."

Conall Granger looked hesitant, so Emma Granger stepped in, "We'd love to -assuming you aren't _really_ a murderer."

Sirius tried to laugh it off, but there was definitely a lot of sadness and pain in there, "No. Just a loyal godfather."

"Then we'd be delighted to arrange something." Mrs. Granger replied, not oblivious to Sirius' feelings but trying to be jovial anyways. She then turned to her daughter, "Ready to go?"

"Yes." Hermione answered, "Goodbye, everyone! See you soon!"

"You too!" Harry and Ron called after her.

"I'd really rather leave before people start staring at me, too." Sirius said, "You ready, Harry?"

"Yeah." Harry crouched slightly to pick up his trunk and Hedwig's cage, but Sirius took the trunk before he could reach it.

Harry smiled as godson and godfather walked together outside, where Sirius quickly navigated them to mammothine motorbike, with a large sidecar attached.

"Like it?" Sirius asked, walking around to the back of the sidecar and opening it, "Bought it when I was seventeen. I gave it to Hagrid when I was in . . . that place."

"It's huge!" was Harry's first comment. The sidecar itself had a small trunk area that Sirius had opened and shoved the trunk into.

"I was trying to enchant it to make it fly, but I must've gotten an Enlarging Charm stuck in there somewhere." Sirius scratched his head, then slammed the back shut, "So I made a trunk in the sidecar, switched a few things out, and presto! I need to repaint it one of these days, though.."

"Er - Yeah." Harry said, eyeing numerous deep scratches in the side.

"Hold on -off we go!" Sirius handled the motorcycle with ease, twirling the massive thing around and accelerating for the road. The noise the motorcycle made was somehow subdued by one spell or another.

The motorbike -surprisingly- navigated the London traffic with ease, then Sirius turned into more desolate backstreets that were bereft of anyone, Muggle or wizard.

Sirius steered the vehicle down to the end of the road, then did a prompt one-eighty and twisted something on the handlebar. The bike started rocketing down the road -but there wasn't a road anymore. The ground was dropping away far below them, and the cold air flew by Harry's face.

"I got that enchantment right eventually!" Sirius cheered.

"What about the Muggles?" Harry shouted over the rushing wind.

The older wizard grinned, "Looks like a bird to them!"

It wasn't long before London was left in the dust, and they were flying over the countryside. It was only fifteen minutes or so when Sirius pointed the bike down again -flying straight for a huge mansion. And _huge_ was only one word for it.

The thing was immense in all senses of the word. Giant stone blocks formed a wall around the place -not a simple fence, this had battlements atop it. Behind it rose something that looked like a castle straight out of the Middle Ages, made almost entirely out of stone and with numerous banners flying the Black family crest.

Sirius brought the motorcycle down for a jouncing, bouncy stop on the uneven ground.

Behind the wall, where they landed, was mostly grass but interspaced with stone statues, trees, benches, and even a fountain or two.

"What is this place?"

"Black property." Sirius said, crouching to pull Harry's trunk out of the . . . trunk, "Built back when the Isles were fighting each other, and the Black family needed somewhere safe. We have a townhouse in London, too -12 Grimmauld Place. This is more secluded, and built to be indestructible."

"So you own it?" Harry asked curiously.

"All mine." Sirius looked around and grinned, "I was disowned, but since I'm the oldest male who still holds the name, everything was passed down to me."

"You still have family?" Harry asked, astonished. It never really occurred to him before, but of course, Sirius _must_ have family, after all.

The grin on Sirius' face soured, "I'm the only good one. One's locked in Azkaban, another's married to a blond git named Malfoy. The House would've been passed to them, but they took other names instead."

"Wouldn't they still be Blacks, though?" Harry asked curiously as they both approached a cleverly-hidden side door.

"Nah. The Blacks didn't want the Lestranges or Malfoys to get their hands on the family fortune or grimoire, so the fortune could only go to someone who kept the name Black." Sirius smiled, "So I got everything! Last Black alive!"

The inside of the castle was not at all like the outside. Instead, it was wooden, and -this hall, at least- decorated with a number of tasteful paintings -of inanimate objects- and statues. Oddly, though, there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, despite it's previous owner having spent the last thirteen years in prison.

It was the first door they came to that Sirius turned on, "This'll be your room -mine's just across the hall."

The godfather opened the door and lugged the trunk inside, Harry following in his wake.

The room was large, with a ceiling at least seven meters high and the width a little more than that. The walls were decorated with a few more paintings -one of Dumbledore, in fact, who was currently sleeping. Red and gold banners hung on the walls as well.

In one corner there a four-poster bed with a golden silk canopy and red sheets, with a large golden lion in the center. There was a nightstand on one side, and near to that was a single, long table that bent into an arc, with a desk at one end. On the desk itself were a few picture frames, their fronts hidden from view.

"I didn't know how to decorate it, so feel free to change whatever you want." Sirius said, "I have plenty of pictures of James, Lily, me, and Lupin from our Marauding days up to their . . . up to a little after you were born. Put a few of them there, but . . ."

"It looks amazing!" Harry said, turning in a wide circle to look at his new room.

"Well . . . I tried." Sirius smiled weakly as he saw Harry's face lit up with joy -it looked exactly like James, except for the eyes.

"I wasn't there when you needed me, James." Sirius whispered, "I'll be here for Harry. Always."

* * *

"Greetings, Sirius, Harry." Dumbledore said as he approached the two individuals.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry replied, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I need to give you something, Harry, and we all need to talk about your future."

"This sounds like something we should be inside for." Sirius clasped his hands together, "I have some of Ogden's best stock in here somewhere."

Sirius led them to a small sitting room. Surprisingly to Harry, there was already a pair of bottles sitting on the small table -one large and filled with amber-colored liquid, the other obviously full of Butterbeer. Both were on ice, and the larger one had a pair of glasses next to it.

It wasn't long before Sirius twisted off the cork and poured both himself and Dumbledore a drink, while Harry claimed the Butterbeer.

"Excuse me for being relatively blunt, but I believe you are still in danger." the aged wizard said, taking an appreciative sip of the whiskey, "Harry, the past few years have shown me that Voldemort is not gone from this world, and will likely attempt to kill you in the future. I believed that I could keep you safe, but you seem to have a knack for attracting trouble. Mountain trolls, Dementors, Basilisks, even a Cerberus! Those are not magical creatures one your age should have to face -and yet, you did."

Dumbledore sighed, "All of that aside, though, an agent of Voldemort was sleeping near you for the past three years, and Voldemort himself has made two attempts to return to life that you, alone, had to stop. I've always wanted you to have as normal as a childhood as possible, but I could not bear it if you died simply because I was unwilling to prepare you for the dangers you will likely face."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, surprised.

"I am talking about teaching you, Harry Potter, to defend yourself from the Dark Lord and his agents." the old headmaster raised his glass, "This truly is excellent whiskey, Sirius."

The Black wizard, though, was clutching his glass in a white-knuckled grip, "He's too young for this, Albus."

"Is he too young to _live_ , Sirius?" Dumbledore asked, his voice leavened with sadness, "This is the same decision that I made twelve years ago -to try and let Harry live a childhood, or take him away? I chose the former, and now I believe I should have -always have- chosen the later."

Sirius didn't say anything, but his fists didn't unclench, either.

"I will not teach him anything without your approval, Sirius." Dumbledore said, "In fact, I had hoped _you_ would teach Harry what you know."

Only then did the fists unclench, "Fine. But Harry's not going to face _anyone_ alone. I'm going to Floo call Remus, Mad-Eye, and everyone else in the Order. Even if we have to be his personal _protection_ detail, I'm not gonna let Harry face Voldemort and his bloody Death Eaters with just two or three friends."

"Harry, I think, would like it if you didn't talk like he wasn't in the room." Harry said awkwardly, "And what, exactly, you're talking about. Death Eaters? The Order?"

Before Dumbledore could say anything, Sirius jumped in, "Sorry, Harry. Got a little distracted. The Death Eaters were You-Know-Who's followers back in the first war -nasty blokes, they wore conned hats and silver masks to hide who they were. Since they had infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, the Aurors couldn't do anything to stop them. So Dumbledore formed a secret organization -the Order of the Phoenix- to protect both the Muggle and wizarding worlds from them -and Voldemort."

"Sirius was part of it, along with Professor Lupin, Frank and Alice Longbottom, and . . ." the master wizard sighed, "Lily and James Potter."

"And Peter Pettigrew." Sirius said bitterly, "The only traitor we ever had."

Dumbledore nodded an acknowledgement, "We did what we could, but we were always outnumbered by the Death Eaters."

"We need to reform it." insisted Sirius, "If You-Know-Who's going to attack again, I'm going to be by Harry's side, and I know Remus will be. Mad-Eye, too. Elphias Doge, Emmeline Vance, Dedalus Diggle . . . I don't need to go on."

The elder headmaster held up a hand, "I agree with you. Voldemort's spirit is currently somewhere in the world, and I have no doubt he is preparing for war. I simply ask that you prepare Harry."

"I will, but I want you to _promise_ that you won't put Harry in _any_ danger. At _all_." Sirius said, his voice carefully edging away from threatening, but not far from it.

"I swear it." Dumbledore said solemnly, "Now, let us proceed to my second reason."

Dumbledore withdrew his wand from somewhere in his robes and flicked it, a potion suddenly appearing on the table that held the whiskey.

"This is another thing I have been waiting to give you." the headmaster said, "I have told you before that love is the most powerful emotion, a force that can perform the greatest of magics. At the same time, betrayed love can cause the deepest of wounds; wounds that scar the soul itself. You have suffered such wounds, Harry, from your Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. This potion will heal them, and afterwards, you may discover that you ability to cast spells has increased -all magic comes from the soul. It should also help reverse some of the more physical effects of your undernourishment over a long period of time."

"So I should take it?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Sirius himself took a similar one, though much more potent, to recover from his time spent in Azkaban."

Harry turned to his godfather, "Does it taste good?"

Sirius smiled, "Delicious."

Harry chugged the potion as quickly as possible. It did not, in fact, taste delicious. It tasted like something Neville would've made in a cauldron, mixed with some of Hagrid's home cooking and spiced with chopped up flobberworms.

His eyes watered as Harry tried to keep the vile liquid down.

Sirius erupted into laughter, clutching his sides.

"Sorry!" he hooted, "Couldn't resist!"

Then the world spun and went black.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you for the kind reviews! And yes, this is not a one-shot.**

 **Please review and give me feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Present's Problems

**Chapter 3 - The Present's Problems**

It was a dark, dreamless sleep that pervaded Harry's lack of consciousness, the potion that Dumbledore gave him still working on mending the boy.

That did not, however, mean that Castle Black was empty of any activity. Sirius knelt next to his godson and struggled mightily to pick him up, his formerly toned arms still weak from imprisonment.

Still, he eventually managed to heft the thin thirteen year-old boy into his arms, one under Harry's shoulders, the other under Harry's knees.

Sirius' legs quaked under the weight, and the man grunted as he nearly dropped his precious godson.

"I shall meet you outside Harry's room." Dumbledore said, "I have something else I must do."

The former resident of Azkaban nodded once, sharply, in return. He wasn't nearly as well put together as he had made it seem earlier -even the motorcycle ride had exhausted him, and carrying Harry's trunk had nearly done him in.

Every step was prone to failure as Sirius carried his godson and dragged himself to Harry's new bedroom. Twice he had to stop and lean against the wall before continuing. But still he walked, and eventually stumbled into Harry's room, almost collapsing onto the four-poster bed himself but instead lying Harry onto it.

A pair of figures watched this labor of love from the entrance, one the quite recognizable figure of Albus Dumbledore, the other seemingly more plain.

When Sirius turned as staggered out the door, it was the seemingly more plain one that slung the exhausted wizard's arm over his shoulder.

"It's been a while, Padfoot." Lupin said, guiding Sirius to a comfy chair back in the sitting room. Lupin's robes looked as patched and frayed as always, but his face was more alive than it had been any time during the school year.

"Moony?" Sirius muttered, "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"Well, as I'm between jobs at the moment, I thought I'd come over and lend you a hand -seeing as you're still too weak to cast any magic." the werewolf smiled, "If you'll have me?"

"Of course . . . I'll have you." whispered Sirius, trying to grasp Lupin's shoulder. His grip was pathetically weak.

"Thank you." Lupin replied, "Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll move in tomorrow."

As Sirius fell asleep in the chair -the combined stresses of the day, his weakened state, and the Firewhiskey had really done a number on him- Lupin and Dumbledore walked away.

"Is there anything in particular I should teach Harry?" Lupin asked quietly.

"The elemental spells, certainly." answered the master wizard, "Twice has Harry faced a beast with a magic-resistant hide -if it should happen again, it is critical that he knows how he must fight back, especially if Voldemort can rally the trolls and giants to his side."

* * *

It was late at night when Harry awoke again and -as far as he knew- nothing really felt different. The taste of the potion was _definitely_ still in his mouth, though, and if anything, it tasted _worse_.

Despite it being the middle of the night, though, Harry didn't feel particularly tired. So he sat up and was about to swing himself out of bed when he saw something that didn't quite fit -a small figure, with large, floppy ears, was clinging to the wall about two meters up and doing something to the Gryffindor banners.

A house elf at work.

"Hello?"

The elf shrieked in alarm and fell off the wall, landing squarely on his or her rear end. Quickly, though, it darted to it's feet and spun to face Harry. It was wearing a black pillow case that was cut to fit his or her form well, and even had a name picked out in gold thread -Bimly.

"Bimly is sorry for waking Master Potter!" it said in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "Is Master Potter needing anything?"

"No." Harry said, than rethought it, "Actually, can you tell me where Sirius is?"

At that, though, Bimly looked conflicted. Eventually, though, he spoke up anyways, his voice less high than it was previously, "Master Black is in his study, at the middle of the north side of second floor. Master Black is very sad."

"Why?"

"It is not Bimly's place to say!" the elf said nervously.

"Alright." Harry replied, standing up, "Thank you."

"Master Potter does not need to thank Bimly!" the elf said, "Bimly is happy to work for his Masters!"

"Then . . . get back to it, I guess?" Harry asked, confused.

"Thank you, Master Potter!"

The elf returned to his work while Harry walked out of the room, wandering around until he found a set of stairs. These, unlike Hogwarts', did not move around, thankfully, nor did they have false steps.

When Harry got closer to the middle of the north side, though, he heard the _tinkle_ of glass shattering. The door to the study, apparently, was open, and Harry could see through the open door.

Sirius sat in front of a desk, a bottle of Firewhiskey in front of him along with what looked like a dozen picture frames, though Harry couldn't see the pictures.

His godfather, though, was riveted on them. Another glass was in his hand, and he shakily poured a measure of the strong liquid into it. The whiskey glowed amber before he tossed it back in one gulp and hissed in pain.

Sirius' lips were moving, too, as if talking to the pictures in front of him. Harry couldn't hear.

"Sirius?"

"Go away, James!" Sirius roared, "It wasn't my fault!"

"I know, it was-"

"Go away!" yelled the godfather, picking up a picture and hurling it at the person he took to be James Potter. His aim was off, and it shattered against the wall two feet from Harry's head.

The picture, though, landed face up. It showed James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew all in there teenage years -at most only a year older that Harry.

"Take a good look, James! See that rat? Fucking Peter! He sold you out to save his own skin, James! It was Peter!"

"I know!"

"What else, then?" Sirius shouted, "Is Andromeda with you?"

"Andromeda?"

"She's fucking dead too!" howled the man, "Bellatrix told me when they threw her in Azkaban! I couldn't protect her! Fat lot of fucking good Gryffindor did. Get away from me!"

The glass, now empty of whiskey, also flew through the air. Again, though, Sirius' aim was far off and it shattered against the top of the doorframe, leaving a small scattering of broken glass. Several similar scatterings marked the graves of similar glasses.

"Sirius? What's going on?" Harry asked, stepping forward -into clear light.

Sirius squinted, his eyes blurry with tears and cloudy with drink. It took a full five seconds for his brain to connect a name with the face he saw, "Harry?"

"Sirius," Harry asked carefully, "Who's Andromeda?"

Sirius turned away, his voice lower but no less raw and pained, and certainly no less vulgar, "Fucking dead is what _she_ is. Only sister I liked. Disowned, just like me, only for marrying a damn " _Mudblood"_."

The godfather reached forward and roughly grabbed a picture frame off the desk, then tossed it vaguely in Harry's direction.

This one didn't have a glass covering like the last one, and Harry could see it on the desk. It showed a very, very young Sirius Black with three young girls. Two of the girls, however, had their faces scratched out and covered in ink. Only Sirius and Andromeda, apparently, were left.

Andromeda had the same general features as Sirius did, and would probably grow up into the same aristocratic good looks that Sirius had.

"Harry. Come over here." Sirius said, clearly enunciating every word.

Harry did as asked, going behind the desk and seeing all the pictures that Sirius faced.

Only a few people did Harry actually recognize, or could even guess at. Lily and James Potter, of course, along with a pair who Harry took to be Neville's parents. But most of the frames were populated with people Harry had never seen before.

"You know who they are?"

Harry shook his head.

"Dead." Sirius cursed, "The Death Eaters, Voldemort and his allies. Killed them all."

"I'm . . . sorry."

"A lot of fucking good _that_ does." Sirius spat, his words curdled with anger, "I'm gonna train you, Harry. As much as I can. And I want you to make me a promise."

"Anything." Harry swore, "Anything."

"Kill every last fucking Death Eater." Sirius growled, "No matter what."

Then Sirius took the Firewhiskey bottle by the neck and upended it into his mouth.

The next _tinkle_ of breaking glass was when it fell to the floor, nearly empty.

Sirius' head smacked the desk with a thud, asleep and snoring.

Harry looked over the pictures intently, one by one.

One had Sirius and a woman kissing.

It said Emmeline Vance.

* * *

Harry awoke late the next day, his mind no longer reeling over what happened the last night. It was a substantial while after that before he actually climbed to his feet, then hesitated. He didn't exactly know where or _if_ there was a kitchen, or even a dining room.

He didn't get any further than the door, however, when a large _crack_ startled him.

"Bimly?"

"Bimly is happy that Master Potter remembers Bimly!" the house-elf said squeakily, "Master Sirius told Bimly to tell Master Potter that Bimly will attend to Master Potter when Master Potter calls Bimly's name! Master Black also told Bimly to tell Master Potter to take breakfast in the smaller dining room!"

It took a while for Harry to piece everything together in his head -the high-pitched voice didn't help, either, "The smaller dining room. Where is it?"

"Very close, sir! Master Potter should turn left, then right, then look for the third door on the right! That is where Master Potter will find the dining hall!"

"Thank you." Harry replied.

The elf looked joyful, "Bimly is not needing thanks!"

"Er . . . then . . . I will go to the smaller dining room." the young wizard said. Bimly disappeared in usual house-elf fashion, and Harry left the bedroom, turning left, then right, then opened the third door on the right.

What was inside stunned Harry slightly. 'Small' was not the right word for the room. 'Medium' wasn't either. Dominating the center was a table that could've seated twenty-five people with plenty of elbow room. The walls were a deep blue, with panel intricately carved with exotic things. A painting of a bright colors stood out in stark relief, depicting children at play, watched over by a mother -and this one was curiously still.

The other side of the room was host to an alcove, which held a bust of someone who looked vaguely like Sirius. Gentle light was shed on the entire scene by a hanging chandelier, holding oil lamps that flickered with electric blue light.

There was only one plate, though, and what a plate it was! It shimmered beautifully, a pale silver with delicately carved and intricately patterned lines, creating the impressions of snakes trailed around each other -though the carvings were filled in with gold. Sitting on it was a small piece of paper.

The handwriting was very messy and rough cursive, but nonetheless Harry could read the hasty note.

 _Say what you want and it'll appear. -Sirius_

"Toast." Harry intoned, and -as if by magic- it appeared before him, with butter as well, "Egg. Er . . . sunny-side down?"

Again, the desired food appeared before him.

Having had many experiences with plenty of different foods -and eating too much of them- at Hogwarts, Harry stuck to his toast and eggs. It wasn't long before the plate was empty before him. The neophyte wizard stood and, for the first time, called out, "Bimly!"

The house-elf appeared from nothing, simply not there one instant and there the next. It took several seconds for Harry to realize that the diminutive creature was waiting.

"Umm . . . can you tell me where Sirius is?"

"Bimly can tell Master Potter where Master Black is! Master Black is in the inner courtyard!" Bimly squealed happily.

"How can I get to him?"

"The inner courtyard is just through this door!" Bimly said excitedly.

"Thank- Umm . . . yes . . . right." Harry trailed off awkwardly, then nodded to Bimly and opened the door.

The inner courtyard was quite the sight: To the right side, a pair of tall trees provided a gentle shade from the midday sun, covering a shiny metal table with a glass top. A quartet of chairs completed the ensemble, and those were partially covered in velvet. All the chairs, as well as the table, were chased with gold filigree.

At the center of it was a large fountain, spewing graceful arcs of water from the wands and hats of four people equally spaced in a circle -two wizards and two witches. The clothing they wore were painted all different colors -red and gold for one wizard, and blue and bronze covered the witch next to him. The wizard next to the blue-and-bronze witch was colored green and silver, while the last witch was clothed in yellow and black.

The faces were intricately carved and painted as well, and -with a start- Harry realized he was staring at the statues of the four founders of Hogwarts.

There were other statues as well -they dotted the entire courtyard. A path of flagstones wended their way around most of them, bordered with beautiful flowers. Bushes also sprung up here or there, along with smaller trees.

On the other side of the fountain was a man laboring for breath and cursing himself loudly as he stood over a statue that looked like it had just fallen over -or the man had pulled it down.

"Sirius?" Harry called.

The man looked up, "Harry! 'Bout . . . time you got up."

"What're you doing?"

Sirius gestured to the statue with one hand, while the other clutched his side, "What d'you think? Moving old Bartimus Black."

It was then that Harry spotted another figure, standing to the side. A small figure with a familiar shape was wringing it's hands with distress.

"Winny can help Master Black, if Master Black would only tell Winny . . ."

"I need to build up my strength again, and this - looked like a good way." Sirius gasped, "Need to clear up some space . . ."

"For what?"

"An arena of sorts." a new voice said. A familiar voice. A very familiar voice, "Don't worry about Sirius -he may have a thick head, but he'll stop before he hurts himself too badly."

"Professor Lupin?" Harry asked, turning to see the pale wizard with light brown hair and shabby robes, his hair slightly more gray than how Harry last saw him, but other than that Lupin had looked happier than he had the whole year.

"The one and only." the wizard smiled slightly, "Watch this."

Lupin's wand _swished_ through the air, ending with a graceful flick.

Sirius, who was again bent over the statue, grunted as the statue began moving in response to his pulls. The dog Animagus kept pulling, until, eventually, he ran out of breath and stopped.

The statute, however, didn't.

Bartimus Black's head butted Sirius back onto his backside, then Lupin, with a quick gesture, made the statue float forward until it pinned Sirius to the grass.

"Not _urg_ funny, Lupin!"

Lupin, though, was cackling slightly, and even Harry's lips cracked open a grin.

"Is this the first time you aren't on top?" Lupin called out, "You might want to try it some time."\

"Kill . . . you! Slowly!" Sirius promised as the statue forced him down.

"Now that's taking it too seriously." Lupin sighed, then gestured with his wand. The statue drifted off Sirius, righted itself, and fell to the ground again.

"How d'you do _that_?" Harry asked, impressed.

"Oh, you know." smiled Lupin conspiratorially, "You learned it first year. One of the first spells in first year, if my memory's correct."

"Umm . . ."

Lupin sighed, "A Charm."

"Ohh. _Wingardium Leviosa_?" the neophyte wizard questioned.

"Correct." the shabby wizard turned away, "It seems I still have a bit of professor in me. I'll be joining you and Padfoot here -if you'll have me, of course."

Harry's eyes lit up, "Yes! I mean, of course I'll have you."

"Good. Dumbledore wants me to help teach you during the summer, so, as your first task, help me move these statues."

Harry walked up to a statue, took out his wand, then -with a swish and a flick- said, " _Wingardium Leviosa_."

He could feel the warmth of magic as it traveled through his wand, then the statue lifted off the ground.

"Put it over here, against that wall. We'll need them later." gestured Lupin as he guided his own floating figure out of the way.

"Definitely." Sirius added, "We'll need to teach you how to duel. Might also start you exercising."

"Exercising?" asked Harry as he levitated another statue over to join the others.

"Improve your stamina. Casting spells takes effort, just like running, or lifting a heavy object." explained Lupin, "It -just like waving your wand precisely or casting with the proper enunciation- is an important part of spellwork."

"Besides," Sirius poked Harry in the ribs, "we need to get some meat on those bones. Helps your Quidditch, too."

"That, though, is for another day." Lupin said, moving the last of ten statues over, "Today, while Sirius gets over his hangover, I'll teach you some spells that will work against the tougher magical creatures -trolls, Basilisks, the like. I'd hope you wouldn't have to face their kind again, but your history has been less than encouraging."

Harry cocked his head at Lupin, "What's a hangover?"

"Something you will learn about in your future." smiled Lupin, who then turned to the house-elf, still present but silent, "Winny, could you set up a ward around this area?"

"Yes, sir!" the house-elf squealed, then snapped a finger and pointed. Immediately, a shimmering dome of purple energy popped into existence, then slowly faded.

"Thank you."

"Winny is not needing thanks!" Winny said.

Lupin sighed, "I know. Harry, if you would stand next to me?"

Once Harry did so, Lupin brought his wand out, "Trolls, giants, Basilisks, dragons, and a few other magical creatures have notoriously magic-resistant hides. It takes a tremendously powerful spell to affect one directly, so, long ago, wizards and witches had to devise a method of combating them to make the world safer. They soon discovered that the easiest way to fight such beings was to, instead, indirectly affect them. Your friend, Ronald Weasley, levitated a troll's club above it's own head and dropped it, correct?"

Harry nodded silently.

"That is certainly one way to incapacitate a troll, but the most orthodox way is by manipulating the four classical elements -earth, fire, water, and air." Lupin gestured with his wand, " _Incendio._ "

Immediately, a bolt of fire shot from the tip of his wand, then hit the ward and fizzed out.

"The simplest of what are commonly referred to as the 'elemental spells', you already know it. Not much good in a fight, though, unless you put a lot of strength into it." instructed the older wizard, then, with a flick of his wrist, summoned a rough figure of a man made of straw, " _Ardero._ "

This time, there was a veritable _jet_ of fire that came out of Lupin's wand, completely incinerating the man, "Much more powerful, but very destructive and harder to control. That spell would be taught to you in two or three years."

Harry nodded again, "Would that really work against the Basilisk?"

Lupin looked thoughtful, "Perhaps. Basilisks, like dragons, have very resilient scales that protect it even from more physical damage. However, there are weak points in any creature -most obviously, the eyes and mouth. The inside of the ear, if it has ears, along with up the nostrils of the nose. If you could aim the flames past the tough scales, it could very well kill the Basilisk."

"So if I faced a Basilisk again-"

"Then I want you to run away. As fast as you can." instructed the werewolf, "The spells I will teach you are most effective if you have a large group of people with you -or even just a few allies. Alone, your best option would be to, again, aim for the weakest point in the hide. Now, for a simpler spell - _Accio Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4._ "

Seconds later, a hefty book zoomed out of a third story window and floated down to Lupin's outstretched hand.

"That was the Summoning Charm -another useful spell, but that is for another day." Lupin passed the book to Harry, "Flip to page twenty-seven."

" _Mutaterram."_ the instructor intoned. There was no bolt of energy to accompany the spell. Instead, the dirt he focused it on cracked open -not very much, only a decimeter or so. Then it shut.

"It causes earth -dirt, silt, sand, etcetera- to change to meet your demands. For instance, you could trap an enemy's' foot underground for a short time, or flatten an area." explained Lupin, "Of course, the more power you put into the spell, the more drastic the change will be. Now, you try."

Harry, holding the book in one hand and his wand in the other, made the wand motion several times before shouting, " _Mutaterram_!"

Nothing happened.

"Practice, Harry, practice." Lupin patted him on the shoulder, "We have a whole summer before you'll find a reason to rush headlong into danger."

"I don't-"

"Yes, you do." Lupin's hand tightened on Harry's shoulder, and the werewolf stared the young wizard in the eye. "You are a Gryffindor. It is not your nature to shy away from trouble, especially if that trouble would threaten your friends. But remember this: In the midst of bravery, there must be caution, else that same bravery is only foolishness."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. Sirius and I have many stories to tell you sometime. We were sneaking out, way after curfew, to meet two girls we fancied -Emmeline Vance and Trisha Edgecombe. On the way there, we-"

Lupin was interrupted by the crack that signaled the arrival of a house-elf.

"Masters Lupin and Potter! Master Sirius needs you!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, LoverOfAllThingsFiction, I completely forgot about Andromeda. Shame on me! Anyways, I'll just roll with it. Also, I'll probably end up posting about every other week.**

 **Please give me feedback and point out my mistakes!**


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